A mostly desert habitat in central Niger, the vast Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve is home to a dwindling population of
, the largest living bird. Within the reserve lies a sanctuary for the critically endangered
, also known as screwhorn antelope. The reserve also contains populations of
, a small canid with very large ears.
Located in southeast Niger, the Termit Massif Reserve's largely arid habitat hosts a population of Niger's endangered national animal, the graceful ungulate known as
, as well as a much-reviled carnivore, the
. Another vulnerable ungulate, the
or aoudad, thrives in the reserve's rugged mountains.
Niger's only national park, the W National Park lies within the West African savanna belt. It provides a home for one of the few populations of the huge, iconic
left in West Africa, as well as a small population of the
, a fast and agile predator. As the park includes extensive wetland areas, it is also home to two of Africa's most dangerous animals, both of them semiaquatic - a massive apex predator, the
, and a hulking, aggressive herbivore, the
. A much less threatening, herbivorous aquatic mammal, the
, inhabits the rivers that run through the park.
The Dosso Reserve in southwest Niger houses the last self-sustaining herd of the
, one of the subspecies of this towering ungulate, whose numbers are now sadly down to a few hundreds.
Niger is also known for harbouring over 500 bird species, which include raptors such as the long-legged
, named after its crest of quill-like feathers, and the
, one of the largest of its kind. The beautiful
, a wetland dweller with a striking appearance, is the national bird of neighbouring Nigeria.
